


Awful Lot of Fun

by IspeakfortheQueen



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/F, one shots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-25
Updated: 2017-05-24
Packaged: 2018-02-14 14:34:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 3,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2195466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IspeakfortheQueen/pseuds/IspeakfortheQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I merged together some old and new stories to create a compilation of various short Vastra/Jenny fics. Mostly one shots and mostly fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Warm Blooded

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to merge some of the Vastra/Jenny fic I've been writing as it's resulted in mostly one shots. The first two stories have been previously published. Everything else after that will hopefully be something new. My other story "Courting Miss Flint" will update when my final exams are over and I have time to write more than warm-up one shots. Enjoy!

"Oi!" yelled Jenny as her partner slid into their shared bed, "Your hands are like ice!"  


Vastra's response lacked its usual speed but Jenny could tell the words were forming in her head. She waited patiently, only giving an annoyed glance when Vastra's cold feet touched her ankles.  


Finally Vastra gave a long sigh and said, "It comes with being cold blooded."  


"We ought to move to somewhere with a warmer climate," she mused, adjusting herself as Vastra sprawled her arm and leg across the surface of her nightgown, "South America, or somewhere in the Pacific."  


"Don't be silly, love" murmured Vastra, settling her face into the crook of Jenny's neck, "We are needed here."  


Jenny glanced out the window. It was nearly winter and the smoke and fog that usually covered the London sky looked like it had no intention of leaving for some time. "I just don't know how someone like you can put up with the weather here," she said.  


"Well it helps when you have an incredibly warm partner to share a bed with." Vastra pressed herself closer to Jenny.  


"What am I, your human hot water bottle?"  


Vastra mumbled something unintelligible in Silurian but it as clear that she was falling asleep.  


Jenny sighed, wrapped her free arm around Vastra's shoulder, and sunk her head back into the pillows.  



	2. Violets

They've long since accepted the fact that their different physiologies will produce a significant difference in their life expectancies. Their line of work is not one that easily promises that either of the pair will die of old age anyway, so they chose to live in the present.

Years pass and add lines to Jenny's face and silver streaks to her once dark hair. She fights well into sixties until her eyesight worsens.

Vastra presents Jenny with violets and all that the flowers promise make her feel as young as ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw a tumblr post about violets in history and wanted to write something about Vastra and Jenny


	3. Impressions

Jenny frowns at the mirror and rubs her cheeks with the palms of her hands. Normally Jenny doesn't mind the marks. They are proof that she was able to be very close to the woman she loved, and usually she wishes they lasted like the love bites that were so easy to conceal beneath her high necked dresses. Today Jenny thinks that the markings are simply asking for a scandal. They will go away relatively soon, but not in the brief time it will take to go downstairs and answer the unexpected policemen who keep knocking anxiously at the front door with an urgent new case to discuss. 

Not that the men would say anything, or even notice for that matter, but Vastra's keen senses have rubbed off on Jenny. Who knows what rumors could arise if the barely visible marks on her face were to be as overanalyzed as Jenny fears?

Vastra, in the process of hastily dressing, wraps an arm around Jenny's waist and kisses the fading indentations of scales pressed into Jenny's cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This sounded so much better when I thought it up at 3 am.


	4. Distractions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Early relationship flirting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been so busy with school since posting "Courting Miss Flint" the fact that I'm still struggling with finding a proper way to start the next chapter has been the least of my reasons for not updating it yet. Believe me, I do intend to update it (at some vague point in the future)! In the meantime, here's a quick addition to this collection that I wrote to get back into the groove of writing Vastra/Jenny again. It's a longer work than the other chapters but really a one-shot in nature.

\- - -

Jenny is not Vastra’s maid anymore- at least not since they started splitting the earnings from the cases they’ve taken on. Nonetheless, she insists on wearing the black and white uniform. 

“Do you still see yourself as my maid, Jenny?” asks Vastra. They are in the solarium and Jenny is pouring Vastra her morning tea.   

“Not at all ma’am,” she says evenly.

Vastra glances over the maid’s clothing and her curt posture before taking a sip of tea. It’s not discomforting seeing her dear friend on such display- in fact it gives her stomach a pleasant sort of churn. Still- Jenny’s choices can’t be entirely for her benefit. Just as she’s pondering this, the doorbell rings.

“That’ll be Moore and Abberline from the Yard,” says Jenny. “I know you don’t like to hear word of them before your morning tea, but they had called just before you got up and said they’d come back when you were awake. Your veil’s next to the sugar.”

Of course, thinks Vastra, always keeping up appearances. 

Vastra turns to find a pile of neatly folded black lace on top of the tea cart- which. as it was, was set for four. She wonders what she had so distracted her to keep that from her range of attention.

As soon as she finishes adjusting her veil on her head, two inspectors and a client walk into the Solarium, followed by Jenny. Vastra catches her eye and is glad for the veil’s perception filter. Only Jenny can see Vastra’s scales change to a darker shade of green.

\- - -

The uniform is becoming a distraction. 

It’s tea time when Vastra questions the lack of visitors. 

“I never said that we were expecting anyone,” says Jenny as she pours the tea.  

“Your uniform implies it.”  Jenny shrugs. 

“Just felt like wearing a dress today ma’am.”

“Surely you have other dresses.”  

“Aye, ma’am.”

“Then why did you chose this one?” The question has been bothering Vastra and she knows that Jenny knows that it’s been bothering her. The one mystery the “Great Detective” has yet to solve is the recent churning in her stomach at the sight of the woman in uniform.  

Jenny only answers by giving a wicked grin that is quickly covered up by her teacup and Vastra mentally bristles.

\- - -

It’s not the uniform that’s become distracting. It’s Jenny.  

It’s Jenny in uniform serving her tea every morning ad afternoon. It’s Jenny in trousers, panting after an intense training session with the swords. It’s Jenny adjusting her hat before leaving to go the the market. Jenny is distracting in anything she wears. Vastra thinks, for only a second, to ask if the girl could stop wearing clothes altogether, but shuts down that train of thought immediately. 

“Jenny, dear, where is the-“ Vastra enters the kitchen just as Jenny is leaning down to pull a loaf of bread from the oven. The Silurian stands in the doorway forgetting her words until Jenny rises and turns to smile and wink at her. There is a split second, that would be unnoticeable to anyone but Jenny, in which Vastra forces herself to breath until she can resume her question but by the time she does she’s forgotten most of it.

It is impossible for Vastra to sleep because she is rethinking the events and the facts of the situation in her head over and over. Jenny is pretty, Jenny is smart, Jenny is witty, Jenny knows exactly what will turn that cool and collected demeanor Vastra has always prided herself on into a stammering mess. Jenny is exquisite. Jenny is cruel. Jenny knows how to flirt and Vastra is too in enamored to stop her.

Vastra isn’t accustomed to this- this flirting- but she rather likes it now that she can put a name to the churning in her stomach. Even if she does feel like a fool when she’d rather be in control of the situation, she very much wants to see where it goes. Vastra decides to flirts back. 

\- - -

“Does it bother you that I wear this, ma’am?” asks Jenny coyly, motioning to her apron as once more she serves the pair tea in the solarium.

“Jenny dear, believe me, I’m not nearly as bothered as I’d be if you weren’t wearing anything,” Vastra blurts out, quickly recovering with a grin and a wink.  

This time it is Jenny who blushes.

\- - -


	5. Sunday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mercilessly fluffy writing warm-up

Vastra did not much care for Sundays.  


The moment her slumber broke, her mind flew to all the things that needed to be done that day. Paper work needed to be filed, letters needed to be sent, tasks needed accomplishing and _damned it all if most of the pubic offices required chose not to be open_. She could do some investigative work in the evening, to be sure, she did what she could- reviewed her notes, made new connections in a case, did her own reconnaissance work even- but today, as so many other Sundays when the case wasn't so serious and she needed only to work with public officials, the day was almost an entire loss.  


Investigators took the day "off" for religious purposes- saw it as a day to "spend with their family." Vastra rolled her eyes at the ceiling and sat up in bed with a yawn- it was a ridiculous notion if you asked her. Her hands rubbed her eyes then dragged down her scaled face in annoyance as the bells of St. Paul's continued their endless ringing.  


_Where was Jenny with the tea and breakfast?_ Had she finally taken the day off? Vastra had offered Jenny Sundays off upon hiring her as an assistant, but Jenny did not seem to show any regard for the church and was as stubborn as Vastra when it came to getting work done.  


_Since when have we ever acted like an employer and employee?_ Her thoughts were in reference to her recently evolving relationship with the girl. She yawned again, trying to keep herself from falling back to sleep. Her right side was oddly warmer than her left. Perhaps if she could get herself out of bed she could at least spend the day with Jenny. Still something wanted to draw her back to that right side of her bed, but she resisted.  


The clock on the mantle struck ten. Vastra could take care of her own breakfast but that Jenny hadn't made an appearance yet worried Vastra. Jenny usually never let Vastra sleep in this late- not unless they had been out late- and last night they had somehow managed to keep themselves inside for the night- in the candle light on Vastra's bed they had even been able to- to- _Oh._  


Vastra opened her eyes completely now. She looked down at herself. As she suspected she was quite naked. She turned to her right. Jenny was wrapped up under the blankets, radiating an exquisite amount of body heat, and also quite naked.  


Vastra smiled and curled herself around Jenny's sleeping form. She carefully pressed a kiss to the top of her dark hair, trying not to wake her, all thoughts of unfinished paperwork fleeing the room. Perhaps Sundays weren't such a waste after all.  



	6. Watching a Movie Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vastra and Jenny watch a movie together. The police are involved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found some cute prompts and wanted to see if I could have Vastra and Jenny watch a movie together without it getting too meta or out of character. There are certainly some historical inaccuracies (ESPECIALLY WITH THE TECHNOLOGY REQUIRED TO VIEW VERY EARLY FILMS LIKE WAS THAT EVEN A THING AT ALL AT THIS POINT I DON'T THINK IT WAS) also as I haven't fully looked into every detail of the disappearance case mentioned, beyond the Wikipedia page, but it feels like something the Paternoster Gang would be involved with, especially since the real Scotland Yard was involved with the actual investigation.

Louis Le Prince’s disappearance was puzzling. Even more puzzling was how to set up the film equipment in the drawing room. Out of pride, Vastra had declined the help of Le Prince’s brother, son, lab assistant, and Inspector Gregson, who were sitting on the sofa staring at her expectantly. She was now staring at the device pretending she knew what she was doing, despite the fact that the invention was a unique creation of the missing person himself. Occasionally she would fiddle with the film canisters to make it appear that she was in no need of male assistance.

Jenny had just finished helping Strax hang a white bed sheet over the mantle and ran over to Vastra’s side. “Oh for heaven’s sake! Don’t do that! Here! Let me!” Vastra took a half step back and peered over at their clients sheepishly through her veil. She was pleased that they were more in awe of her assistant’s knack for technology than her stubbornness.

In no time Jenny had the projector running. “It’s alright, ma’am,” Jenny consoled in a whisper, “You can shut the curtains.”

As soon as the curtains were drawn and everyone was settled, Jenny flicked on the machine.

A very grainy image appeared on the sheet. It was of a garden behind a house, apparently in Leeds. Two women stood in the garden while two men began to walk in a counter clock wise motion around them. Jenny didn’t even have time to move to Vastra’s side and it was over. It was not even two seconds long.

“It’s rather short.” said Jenny bluntly. She glared at Strax who was muttering something about how primitive the entire set up was.

“And yet there is nothing else like it,” said Inspector Gregson in awe.

“Actually there are three others,” said Adolphe Le Prince, “Though one of them is with my mother in New York.”

“Do you think you could find anything in these, Madame?” asked Gregson.

Jenny held in her smile as she watched Vastra’s unimpressed face twist up at the sheet on the wall.

“I highly doubt any culprit would be found from these, ah, photographic experiments. If the camera was found at the scene of the crime then there is a very slight but very possible chance that they were tampered with. Nonetheless I’m sure we could find the time to examine the film before we leave for France.”

“But Madame," choked out Gregson, "I don’t recall you informing us that you were going on holiday soon."

Madame Vastra turned to him and even with her veil on, Jenny could see her eyes burning into the investigator’s worried face, “Oh this is not for holiday, Inspector. This is strictly business. If you wish us to help in the case we will have to do fieldwork. You don’t expect us to solve a case with out going to the scene of the crime do you?”

“No no, of course not,” spluttered Gregson.

“Excellent, Jenny can take the film and equipment up to the lab- Monsieurs Le Prince, we will return these as soon as we can and will wire if we find something pertinent to the case. Mr. Strax, please start preparing our luggage. There is much work to be done."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Roundhay Garden Scene was filmed in 1888 in Roundhay, Leeds and Louis Le Prince mysteriously disappeared from the Paris-Dijon railway in 1890.
> 
> I am also always here for tech-wiz/photographer Jenny. She's probably really connected in the late Victorian British photography community.


	7. Perfect World (or, Proposal and Marriage)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I try so hard to write something besides quiet fluff but that's my favorite thing to read and there's far to little of it (just like, in general) so it's up to me to write it.

In a perfect Victorian world after a year or two of courtship Vastra will get on one knee and propose to her sweetheart, perhaps in a park or their drawing room, and certainly after speaking to the girl’s father and proving she can provide for her. In a perfect Victorian world they will be married in the time period and city that brought them together by a proper Victorian priest in the parlor of the Flint family home. This is of course all assuming that in a perfect Victorian world Vastra would be a human man, and not the singular member of a humanoid-reptilian species long thought to be extinct, with a penchant for wearing violet taffeta dresses and flirting with pretty girls. 

Vastra and Jenny of course are anything but perfect Victorians. They’ve been sharing a bed, and wages, and a home at Paternoster Row for five years when the idea comes to do something to signify their relationship as something more than a careful affair. There is no possibility that Vastra can get down on one knee outside of their home, unless of course it’s in the shadows on the roof of the Tower of London after a dangerous clash with murderous gang of reptilian (but not noble enough to be Silurian, Vastra later agrees), aliens the ashen remains of their enemies scattered around them. Jenny has not heard word of her father in ten years and can only assume that if he’s not dead he’s in the poor house, so she happily accepts first on her own behalf and then later decides she should give consent on behalf of her father because she knows that even if he was alive his opinion would be rubbish.

  Vastra and Jenny promise themselves to each other in words and then in happy kisses to each other and then in holding each other’s had on the climb down from the roof of the Tower to discuss with the authorities just “What the devil happened up there?!” They promise themselves to each other because no priest from this time period and this city is going to come into their parlor (the Flint family home having been gambled away some two or three generations ago) and pronounce the two women (who are now passing tired but pleased smiles at each other from across the carriage bench on the way home) married.

\---

While it’s often more exciting to imagine the Doctor whisking them away somewhere far in the future, or far in the past, or maybe just far into space for a lavish celebration filled with friends and family and delicious cake (and from the look on his face when they tell him of the recent development in their relationship, there is no doubt that he certainly will), the initial ceremony is not as glamorous.

Seven days after the incident at the Tower of London, Vastra steps out of a jewelers shop with a pleased grin tucked under her veil and hails a cab to take her home. When she arrives at Paternoster Row, she pays the cab driver handsomely and bursts into the house, rushing downstairs to find Jenny in the kitchen sharpening the knives. With a kiss on the cheek she hurries her outside as beaming Jenny quickly does away with her apron and maid’s cap. 

The rings are exchanged on the garden terrace, carefully hidden behind the less than exotic shrubbery with a grey London sky overhead. In quiet voices they speak some words and phrases that they’ve been repeating and revising with each other for the past week. Jenny’s never cared for priests and Vastra can’t say she’s all that familiar with human religions for all the time she’s spent in London. Jenny gently lift’s Vastra’s mourning veil to kiss her tenderly on the lips.

Vastra smiles while Jenny giggles, both elated with what they have just done. Their hands find their ways into each other's and Vastra lifts hers to kiss the top of Jenny’s hand.


	8. Halloween

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really like case fics a lot but I don't have the patience to write them, anyway this is just a drabble. Happy Halloween!

The last week of October and the following first week or two of November are always busy. There’s always some scientist choosing this time to release his creation upon the world, or a belligerent serial killer obsessed with pagan calendars, or a naive scholar whose studies run along the lines of esoteric spirituality who inadvertently opens a wormhole or inter dimensional portal that lets some brain sucking alien into London. Sometimes all three collude together. Sometimes it’s just some kids in masks scaring people and sometimes the pranksters get caught up in a more treacherous plot and need help getting of it. Jenny always preemptively crosses these weeks from their social calendar and makes sure that there are freshly baked apple tarts on hand for when Scotland Yard comes making business calls.  

Vastra never feels the cases at this time of year are challenging enough. They’re predictable and formulaic once she’s determined what type of case it is (which always boils down to, “Was the culprit a human, alien, artificial intelligence, or some other beast?) and she hardly ever considers them when ranking her personal triumphs (the major exception being case with the mummies and the circus performers that dragged on into December back in ’93). Still, all work is good work and it is worth it to make some extra income just as winter starts to settle in. She won’t be willing to work as many late nights when it is cold out and there are household expenses to attend to. Vastra’s reason for enjoying Halloween is not entirely economical. In fact Vastra likes Halloween more and more with each passing year that establishes the human tradition of wearing costumes. Though she’ll wear her cloak for safety precautions, the night of October 31st is the one night when Vastra doesn’t need to entirely cover her face when out investigating. What a fright the mad scientists, murderers, and malevolent aliens get when their pursuers’ party mask won’t come off and comes complete with a set of sharp teeth and a long poisonous tongue.


	9. Bed Sharing 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is there no purer form of Vastra/Jenny fic than the bed sharing trope? This has been in my drafts for over a year. Pointless character drabble/study early relationship fluff ft. Jenny on her period.

When Vastra entered her bedroom, Jenny was at the dressing table brushing her hair. Jenny’s appearance in the room was by all means not unwelcome but it was not entirely familiar. Vastra stepped into the room and closed the door. “I have the final reports all typed up- it would be preferable if you could get them to Gregson’s office tomorrow morning.”

“Of course, ma’am,” said Jenny quietly. She was in her night shift with a shawl wrapped around her shoulders. As Vastra sat down on the stool besides her lover, she realized it was the first time she had seen Jenny brushing her hair. Vastra was no stranger to Jenny’s hair- she rather liked how it tangled in her fingers and cascaded across her lover’s pale shoulders when it was unpinned in bed. It was just that Jenny always maintained her hair in the privacy of her own room, usually before Vastra woke up in the morning. Jenny staying in Vastra’s room was only a recent occurrence, though it had taken a brief pause as a difficult case had kept their nights to reconnaissance work and their days to infrequent naps scheduled around meetings with informants and various members of Scotland Yard. The two were looking forward to a well deserved rest but where the resting would occur hadn’t quite been discussed yet. Jenny seemed to be content taking a space in Vastra’s bed and Vastra was not about to deny it to her.

Jenny got up from the dressing table and walked over to the bed and pulled down the covers as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Vastra stood on the opposite side and smiled- it was endearing. Vastra sniffed the air and paused to flick out her tongue- quickly, trying not to meet Jenny’s eye, making sure Jenny wouldn’t notice. Of course, she did. Vastra sensed Jenny standing still and she looked up to meet her big brown eyes.

“Will it bother you?” asked Jenny. “The blood I mean- If I sleep ‘ere tonight?“

“Of course not, love,” said Vastra, moving her hands to pull the covers down on her side and sliding into the bed. She patted her hand on the empty space next to her and Jenny crawled in carefully.

“I wouldn’t want to accidentally stain your sheets,” she muttered.

“Nonsense love, we’ve made enough mess in this bed, I think,” she winked and coiled her arm around Jenny’s waist. Vastra began to press kisses into Jenny’s neck. Jenny pulled away but breathed out a nervous laugh.

“And it’s alright if we don’t-“

Vastra understood and pulled away immediately, “Of course, dear! You’re always welcome in my bed, regardless of the circumstances, I hope you know that.”

Jenny smiled and turned to give Vastra a tender kiss on the lips, “Thanks love.”

Jenny turned and reached across the nightstand to blow out the candle and settled on her side facing away from Vastra. Vastra settled on her back on the opposite side of the bed. For a few moments they stayed that way in the half light of the gas lamps which streamed in from outside, the curtains and window open to keep the room from getting too stuffy on a warm June night. The only sound was the clock on Vastra’s mantle. 

Vastra shifted and Jenny felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Jenny?”

“What is it?”

“Would you mind terribly if I move closer to you?”

Jenny chuckled quietly before turning to see the bright blue eyes staring back at her in the dark.

“You don’t need to be so gentle with me. I’d actually prefer it.”

Pleased, Vastra slid closer and wrapped an arm around Jenny, spooning her from behind, resting her nose in that dark brown hair.

“Mm,” sighed Jenny happily, closing her eyes.

“Mm.” replied Vastra.


End file.
